Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade says Nigeria must learn from its disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and subsequent failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Nigeria’s World Cup hopes ended on Thursday after the Falcons suffered a 2–1 defeat to South Africa in the qualifying play-off in Casablanca. The defeat came after Nigeria had been eliminated by Cameroon in the WAFCON quarter-finals.

Ajibade said the setbacks should serve as a wake-up call for the team, stressing that Nigeria could no longer afford to approach matches with complacency as women’s football in Africa becomes increasingly competitive.

She said the Falcons must recognise that they are not invincible, adding that the team needs to prepare better, improve continuously and demand more from themselves both individually and collectively. )

The captain also acknowledged the disappointment surrounding the campaign, but urged the players to use the experience as motivation to improve ahead of future competitions.

The loss to South Africa ended Nigeria’s remarkable record of appearing at every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991.

Ajibade, who played every minute of Nigeria’s campaign in Morocco, said the experience should encourage deeper reflection on the team’s preparation, consistency and overall approach.

The Falcons had entered the WAFCON as defending champions but lost 1–0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals, before their subsequent defeat by South Africa ended their hopes of reaching the 2027 World Cup.